The present invention relates generally to fluid containment systems and, more particularly, to a sump for containing spillage, or the like, in systems storing hazardous fluids and/or chemicals, such as gasoline.
Sumps, in general, are employed in fluid storage systems to contain spillage, or the like, to prevent waste. In the case of hazardous materials, sumps are also used to prevent the escape of these hazardous materials and the possible safety and pollution problems that such escape could create. In gasoline storage systems, in particular, sumps may be used at junction points where spillage of hazardous materials, if any, typically occurs. In these sumps, there may or may not exist retrieval systems for the spilled materials. The sumps, however, are usually accessible for inspection and/or for draining the material either automatically or manually.
In designing these containment systems, as well as in modernizing old systems, various types of sumps are needed for junction points in the storage plumbing system between the pumps and the storage tanks as well as at the storage filling points. Different systems with different types of hardware require varying sizes of sumps to conform to the needs of a particular system.
Adjustable sumps have been developed and are used in the field of gasoline storage systems, but are generally inconvenient to use. Sumps presently exist where the housing of the sump is adjustable using sliding and bellows-type connections for adjusting the vertical height of the sump. Also, sumps with score lines on the housings exist for cutting and taping together the sump housing for installment in the system. These systems result in sumps that leak and must be repaired or replaced frequently to avoid the escape of hazardous wastes.
In addition to being inconvenient to use and maintain, sumps generally in use at present are rather expensive to manufacture, install and maintain. Also, numerous clamping features in conventional sump lid assemblies are used in order to attempt to insure water tightness; however, these features create undesirable, added motion when removing and/or positioning the lid on the sump. Further, one sump is generally dedicated to the needs of one particular site. This adds to the cost of manufacture due to the added cost of separate tooling and the like, as well as the need for increased inventory reserve. As a consequence, these increased costs translate into increased costs for the consumer. Further, in addition to conventional sumps being generally inadequately water resistant, they also may not be adequately gasoline and gasoline blend resistant, corrosion resistant, nor do they generally include flame and smoke retardants. As can readily be appreciated, this lack of features may be inconvenient, and may also be hazardous in some instances.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sump which is simple to manufacture. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a sump which will allow ease of periodical inspection with less motion, while maintaining water resistance. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a sump which includes strengthening features to substantially prevent the sump from collapsing or deforming to the point where sub-assembly components malfunction or do not substantially meet expectations. Yet further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sump which is advantageously substantially gasoline and gasoline blend resistant and corrosion resistant. It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a sump which includes flame and smoke retardants which advantageously may provide extra safety features in certain situations. Still further, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a sump which is cost effective to manufacture in various heights and widths.